Harray Churchyard
Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Site Name Harray Churchyard
Classification Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Alternative Name(s) Overbrough
Canmore ID 2028
Site Number HY31NW 36
NGR HY 3136 1790
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/2028
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Birsay And Harray
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY31NW 36 3136 1790.
(HY 3136 1790) Brough (NR) (Site of) (NAT)
OS 6" map, Orkney, 2nd ed., (1903).
Although there is now no trace of the broch in the church-yard, workmen dug deep into the walls while preparing the foundations of the War Memorial. (J Fraser 1923).
RCAHMS 1946.
The War Memorial stands on a turf-covered mound in the graveyard of Harray Church, situated on the top of a conspicuous hill at 150 ft OD. The mound measures 33.0m. E-W by 30.0m. N-S and 1.5m. high.
Mr J Firth (the Gravedigger) says that the mound contains a lot of stone but that no wall-faces have been found in it. He has several flints, potsherds and animal bones which he has found around the perimeter of the mound.
Visited by OS (NKB) 13 June 1966.
Publication Account (2002)
HY31 15 OVERBROUGH ('Harray Church-yard')
HY/314179
Possible broch in Birsay and Harray; there is now no trace of a building but the foundations of a broch were apparently discovered when the war memorial was erected on a turf-covered mound in the graveyard of Harray Church [2].
Sources: 1. OS card HY 31 NW 36: 2. Fraser 1923, 32: 3. RCAHMS 1946, 2, no. 139, 37.
E W MacKie 2002
Note (10 August 2011)
For Harray Kirk, burial ground and war memorial, see HY31NW 59.
Information from RCAHMS (LMcC) 10 August 2011
